Café Hypnotique
by Kaoruhana
Summary: Kagome is a PhD student researching folklore connections between Europe and Japan. On a trip to study documents for her thesis, she stumbles on a well-kept secret that changes a few things.


**A/N: **This story takes place in London, Paris, and Tokyo. I do not own nor am I affiliated with any of the institutions, landmarks, or other affiliated places that are mentioned in this story.  
Quick notes: there was period of calamities in the 1830's in Tokugawa Japan. I think it was something like earthquake followed by fire followed by famine. I mention that period in this story.  
Folklorisitcs is a real field. Kagome's thesis is something I made up just for her. As for the rest of it, all a lovely bit of historical (and realistic) fiction. And there are real French phrases in there (I might be rusty so if I do have errors that you notice, let me know). The translations can be found at the bottom. Hope there's nothing I forgot!

NOTE: **I hate to be rude but **this story is a **ONESHOT. **Please take the time to note this. I absolutely get annoyed (really, since you can see that the story is completed, has one chapter, and I took the time to point it out to you) when people send me reviews asking me for more chapters or something. It's one thing for someone to say "I wish there was more"- that I appreciate. What can get super annoying really fast is to read someone ask for more chapters after I have told them there will be none. Sorry if I sound like a grouch there, I just had to say it.

Also, if you don't like the pairing in this story, fine with me. Just please- no flames. Anywho, before I bore you to death- on with the story!

* * *

"Oh come on, I know it's here!" The young woman sighed as she pushed back her bangs and went through the information laid out in front of her.

She was close- she knew she was. All the information she'd gathered pointed to one thing and she was going to explore that lest she lose it. As a folklorist, who was earning her PhD, she wanted to make sure she saw this bit of research through to its dead end. Vampires just seemed too real, too close to the tales she'd researched regarding ruthless _youkai_ lords and monsters as told to her by her grandfather- especially that of the _daiyoukai_. The notes she'd taken indicated that the loss of powerful _youkai_ in Japan over the years coincided with an increase in the presence of supernatural activity in Europe. If only she could figure out what it was that had caught her attention about this European activity in the first place.

"Kagome?" A knock sounded on her office door and she called for whoever it was to come in. Her door was always unlocked for any students who wished to come in and ask her questions. As a PhD student she was required to teach at least one class a semester on Introduction to Folkloristics. It opened to revel her boyfriend Hojo Akitoki.

Hojo was a med student who was doing his residency in the University Hospital. He was three years her senior but equal in terms of intellectual capacity. In spite of their study of different academic fields they managed to get along quite well. She watched him walk in with a smile on his face. It was rare that her boyfriend got to visit her in her office. The residency training often kept him at the hospital late at night so they met up for lunch dates instead of dinner ones.

"How are you?" She asked standing up and stretching. It was Friday, which meant she could go home early. She would try to take the files she was working on home so that she could get some work done. Hojo approached her desk and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good. The doctors let me go early today." He sighed and she wondered why he seemed a little discontent. "I got my placement for my first three years of practice."

Kagome stilled at the words. She and Hojo had known that if they wanted to continue their relationship, it might be a long distance one. As a doctor, he would have to move to the city and hospital chosen for him. Kagome couldn't go with him though. Not until she got her PhD and was ready to pursue her post-doctoral studies. She reached out to take his hand and entwined their fingers together. She felt good being with Hojo and she had a feeling that no matter what happened, they would make it work.

"Where did they place you, Aki-san?" Hojo's first name was Akitoki. It had been a tradition in his family to name the first born son that for years. He liked to go by Aki however because the original name was a mouthful and much too traditional for him.

"A university hospital in Tottori." His face softened and he gave her a small smile. "I can't ask you to come with me now but, do you think… in a year's time, when you are ready to pursue your post-doc you will apply there?"

"Maybe." He knew she meant that she'd try, as long as the program accepted her and she could apply. For him it was enough.

"Good." The residency student looked at her desk. "Do you think we could get dinner? And then…" He hesitated but continued. "Would you like to spend the night?"

Kagome had been to Aki-san's apartment before and he to the house she still lived in with her family. She had never spent the night however. She and Hojo had gotten to know each other quite well: physically and emotionally, so she was no stranger to his bed either. But neither of them had made the initiative to look beyond that. She flushed at the implications of his question. He wasn't just looking for a serious relationship anymore but for a long term one. The thought made her swell with warmth.

"I would like that." She let go of his hand and moved to pack up her papers. She didn't mind that Hojo didn't help because it helped her organize her papers the way she wanted to. "I have to call my mother and tell her I won't be coming home tonight." She placed the papers in a few folders before packing everything away in her bag. "And are we eating out tonight or cooking?"

"I was thinking of cooking." He answered taking her hand as they walked out of the office. He waited while she locked the door and it was then that she noticed he had his own bag slung over his shoulder. Leaning into his warmth, she let him lead her on the ten minute walk to his apartment.

"What do you have?" She asked stifling a yawn. "I just want to cook something simple. Like pasta." He chuckled and gave the hand he was holding a squeeze.

"Pasta hm? Well I suppose I have enough vegetables to go with that. If not, we could have some salad too."

She pouted at his words but let it slide. When she'd first begun dating him, she hadn't realized that as a doctor, he was also a nutritionist. He never restricted her from eating sweets and sugary things but made sure that the next day they walked to a restaurant further away from the University that served really healthy food. The first time he'd done it, she had ranted to her mother about his controlling nature. It was her mother who reminded her that she could have refused his offer and to be grateful that he cared about her health. Now, they ate at the cake shop on Saturday afternoon and lunch at the healthy Okinawan restaurant on Wednesdays.

"Can we have strawberries instead of salad? I saw some at the convenience store in the morning."

"Of course." He led them into the store they were passing watching her peruse the baskets until she settled on one she liked. He paid for it, despite her protest, and they continued to his apartment.

His apartment was small- enough for someone like him. It consisted of a kitchenette attached to a living room with a bedroom and bathroom branching off from the main space. As a residency doctor he didn't need more than that. As a full time doctor in Tottori he would probably opt for a better space that had more room for both him and Kagome. He let her set her things down on the coffee table and followed her to the kitchen where she washed her hands. It was nice to see Kagome use his space like it was her own.

"What do you want in the pasta?" She asked softly as she opened his tiny refrigerator. "Oh forget I asked, all you have are carrots and tomatoes." Pulling the vegetables out, she reached for the knife and cutting board on the lone kitchen counter to begin chopping.

"Will you be fine if I disappear for a moment?" Hojo asked shrugging out of his doctor's coat. She didn't turn to address him.

"Of course I will. You go change and what not." He nodded, taking his leave and leaving her alone in the kitchen. Kagome liked to cook but at home it was hard for her to do so since her mother generally took over the kitchen when it came to mealtimes. As a result, she loved to come to Aki-san's apartment and cook a meal for the two of them to eat. It helped her indulge in her hobby and gave her boyfriend a good home cooked meal at least once a week.

She soon became engrossed in the task of chopping and preparing dinner. The pot of water she had set on the stove was boiling away and she tossed the carrots into it for a few minutes so that they could blanch a little. Humming to herself, she moved around the kitchen and plucked out the box of pasta. It was a personal favorite food of hers and one that Aki-san didn't like as much. That was, until he met her and began to see what one could do with the noodles. Busy getting the noodles down, she didn't notice that the young doctor had come back and was watching her cook.

"You know- I think I'll miss this the most when I go to Tottori." Startled, she nearly dropped the pasta onto the floor.

"Startling me in the kitchen?" Kagome asked as she picked up the extra-long strainer she'd bought for him a while back. Fishing out the carrots she continued. "Of course, if you're talking about the cooking thing- don't worry, I'll definitely come visit." Hojo laughed and walked towards her, taking her in his arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's seeing you cook that has me so happy." He murmured as she added pasta to the water. "Are you really going to leave the carrots that big?"

"Of course not! I have to chop them." A moment later, she squeezed her boyfriend's fingers and he let go. "I forgot to tell mama I won't be home tonight." She looked at him pleadingly and he relented to taking the blanched carrots and giving them a quick chop.

"Yes, go do that. And then come back here. You're mine for the night." She giggled and gave his cheek a pat on her way to the living area where she'd left her purse. She was his, in more ways than one. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"That's it!" Kagome put her pen down relaxing in the spring warmth on a Sunday afternoon. She was giddy as she jotted her notes down. Sunday meant she didn't have to wait long before presenting these new findings to Tanaka-sensei.

As a folklorist in training who was earning her PhD, Kagome had needed to write a thesis. Her thesis was well on its way to completion but there was something she was missing. Kagome had focused her research on the similarities prevalent between old demonic folktales in Japan and the supernatural phenomenon occurring in Europe. She'd wanted to prove that they were connected. A year ago, on a project with a visiting scholar from England, Kagome had been able to successfully establish the time line link (with proof which had been the hardest thing to find). Her guiding professor had wanted her to look further into it though. He wanted a connection established- between _youkai_ and some other European entity. Kagome had chosen vampires.

Today, she'd come across a breakthrough while poring over her notes. According to written text dating back to the archives of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the last regal demons had left Japan in 1837, right after the first of the American ships had been chased away. During the period of calamities that had preceded this event, the then Tokugawa ruler had decided to lay blame on the demon lords. According to the missive they had from one of the emperors advisors, the _youkai_ had fled in a mass exodus, panicking for their lives. It was a decade later that the myths regarding vampires and werewolves became rampant in Europe. Most historical scholars said that the advisor had been drunk, but as a folklorist, Kagome thought it marked the end of a traditional era of folktales. What had come to rise in the Edo period had disappeared with its decline.

She needed to get to London and access the records Anne-san had helped her find. The coincidences and the information she had gained pertaining to the timeline were drawing her closer and closer to the vampire/_youkai_ relationship. If she was right, accessing the correct flies from London would establish a connection between the _youkai_ of Japan and the supernatural beings of Europe.

"Nee-san?" Kagome looked up from her book to see her brother make his way over to her.

"What is it?" She asked taking note of the urgent look on his face. She closed her notebook and stood up. "You professor's here. He said he got some news that he just had to share with you." Kagome narrowed her eyes as she followed her brother to the main house that was apart from the shrine area where she sat. It was rare for her professor to do this. Especially since whatever information he had could surely wait twelve hours to be shared. As far as she knew, short of the school burning, there was no reason for him to be here.

"Tanaka-sensei." She greeted seeing him in the living room as she walked in. "How are you?" The man smiled and she took a seat across from him as he spoke.

"I am good Higurashi." He placed his teacup on the table in front of him. "I apologize for bothering you at such a time but I think you need this information as it is time sensitive. Anne-san from London has just received documents on a three-month loan from Durham University in England. They detail the arrival of Japanese citizens into Europe and Anne-san said that you might want to see them. They cannot be transported though, so you would have to travel to England."

"Oh." Kagome looked at the table and didn't say anything else because she was unsure what else she could say. She would love to get the information needed for her thesis but she would have to travel. It was lucky that she had a passport but she wasn't sure she had enough time to get a visa for England as well.

"Tanaka-sensei," her mother cut in diplomatically, "perhaps we could discuss it and then have my daughter get back to you?" The man nodded as he cleared his throat and finished his tea.

"Of course, I apologize for bothering you and your family Higurashi. I just wanted to share this information with you." Kagome nodded as she found herself unable to speak. Her teacher stood and the hosts stood as well. "Thank you for your generosity Higurashi-san." He followed them to the front of the house where he slipped his shoes on. "I'll see you tomorrow Higurashi."

Kagome and her mother bid her teacher goodbye and soon retreated to the kitchen. Her grandfather was upstairs napping and her brother had discreetly snuck off to his room giving Kagome and her mom just the privacy they needed to talk. They took out the ingredients for dinner- it was going to be soup and a quick egg curry tonight- and began to get to work. It was after Kagome had nearly finished chopping the mushrooms and her mother had the soup bubbling away on the stove that the elder woman spoke.

"Will you take it?" Kagome looked up from her chopping.

"I don't know. What are the possibilities of me getting my visa in time?" She reached for the daikon that her mother liked to add sometimes in the soup.

"It takes three weeks for the visa process." Her mother answered looking at her daughter from her position by the stove. "I always knew you were going to go abroad." She continued as she noticed her daughter's surprise. "After Anne-san came you seemed so excited so I did a little research. You can go to London if you want dear. I won't stop you."

Kagome resumed her chopping. "I don't know what to say. But I want to go. I'm close to the end of my thesis and Tanaka-sensei said that as soon as I agree to submit it, he'll talk to the University about considering me as a full time tenured professor after I do my post-doc somewhere. I'm one of three doctoral students and the highest ranking one right now in the department." She sighed and pushed the daikon away since she was done with it and it no longer presented her with a distraction.

"I'm going to England aren't I?" She asked meeting her mother's gaze. Her mother smiled softly.

"I won't stop you if you do go."

The next morning, Kagome showed up at Tanaka-sensei's office with a hesitant smile on her face. She was a little nervous about what she was about to tell him but after the conversation with her mother, she knew that she had to tell her professor about this decision. A sigh left her and she knocked on the door. It was a short wait and she heard shuffling on the other end before she was invited in. Tanaka-sensei was sitting at his desk and greeted her with a smile when he saw her.

"Ah Higurashi. I take it you have come to a decision."

She nodded. "Yes- could you let Anne-san know I'll be filing the paperwork for my visa soon? I decided to go to London."

* * *

Kagome stepped out of the airport and looked around. There was a huge bus bay right in front of her and a set of stairs that led down to what she assumed was a train station. She looked around for the blonde woman she had come to know as Anne-san. Anne was a professor at Imperial College in London- one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. She had studied at all the top European Universities- getting a history bachelors from Bologna, doing a stint at Cambridge for her masters in Folklore studies, and then ending at Imperial for her post-doc and job.

"Ah Higurashi!" She turned to see the woman who had called her name- Anne-san. Anne was dressed perfectly for the London weather- a light trench coat over slacks and a blouse. "How was your flight?"

"Good." She answered in her heavily accented English. A year ago, when she had met Anne-san, the woman had instructed her to go study English more. She had the potential to be an international scholar and it was high time she learned, the British woman argued. Kagome had been grateful for her insistence on learning the language.

"That's quite wonderful to hear. Come now, I've got a room in my house for you. It's my daughters- she's holidaying with her friends in France, so it won't be a problem if you take over her room for a few months." Anne led her down the flight of stairs she had seen earlier. "It's a bit of a ride on the tube- oh stay to the right dear; the left is for walkers on the escalators."

Kagome quickly moved and waited with Anne-san for the train. It wasn't a long wait, and once she got in, Kagome quickly adjusted. She'd been on the trains in Tokyo often enough to be used to travel. It was much quieter and emptier than what she was used to though. She dozed off, only waking up when Anne-san shook her. She took Kagome out of the train station and into a taxi before they pulled up to a brick building that had intricate detail carved onto it. Anne paid the cab driver and she followed her host out of the cab. The inside of the building was surprisingly warm and open for what looked like an imposing structure.

"We're on the fifth floor- 502." Anne stated as they climbed into the elevator. "You look tired, so for today, how about you take a warm shower and sleep? We'll start our work tomorrow." Kagome nodded as she hid her mouth behind a yawn. She _was_ tired and the promise of a hot shower and warm bed sounded wonderful. The elevator opened and the two women walked out and to the right towards an apartment door.

"Ah, welcome home."

Kagome looked at the apartment. A large window in the living room let bright light into the space. On the right side was a hallway with rooms on both sides and a door at the end. On the left was an open kitchen and dining room combination. The living room itself was huge- the part that wasn't housing the sofas and tables was left empty save for a table by the front door and a few potted plants. It was homey and Kagome felt a brief stirring of homesickness as she thought about what her mother was doing in Japan. Anne-san lead her down the right hallway and opened the door on the left.

"Here- that will be your room while you visit." She pointed to the door at the end of the hall. "And that's the bathroom. If you have any clothes you want to wash, do let me know. We just ordered a new washing machine a month ago and I'm still learning it myself."

"I will. Thank you." Kagome pushed her bag inside the room and stifled another yawn. Plucking out a bag of toiletries and a change of clothes, she smiled at Anne and moved to the bathroom. Pausing before she entered, she looked back at the host. "Can you wake me for dinner? I will probably sleep until then."

"Of course." The British woman turned to leave the hallway and Kagome slipped inside the bathroom. She couldn't wait for that hot shower.

By the time Kagome managed to finish her shower and climb into bed, it was nearing afternoon tea time. Too tired to care about anything else, she fell asleep as soon as she hit the sheets. Her sleep was dreamless and when she woke up it was time for dinner. Anne-san woke her up and told her she could wash her face in the bathroom if needed and then join her in the dining room for dinner. Kagome did so, surprised to see another face in the dining room. Next to Anne-san at the table was an older man wearing a pair of comfortable sweat pants and a shirt that had the logo of a university.

"Kagome- I'd like you to meet my husband Steve. He's from the United States." She greeted him and he smiled back indicating a seat at the table.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Kagome. How about you sit down and tell me more about your research? I've heard some interesting things about it from Anne." Kagome took the indicated seat, feeling more at ease with the man's easygoing attitude. As she filled him in on her research and ate dinner she thought that the decision to come to London wasn't such a bad one after all.

It took Kagome a week to adjust to London and the Imperial College facilities. She would wake up in the morning and go with Anne and her husband to work. Anne's husband was a history professor who focused his work on the role that the United States played in shaping Europe after World War II. He told her a bit about the research, specifically on how he was studying the relationship between the United States and the European Union. She thought it fascinating and promised to have him tell her more about it when she wasn't swamped with her own research material.

At the University, Kagome's position as a visiting scholar gave her quite a bit of freedom. The rules of her stay meant that as long as she credited Imperial University (and Durham University) with aiding her research she could use the research material as much as she wanted. She also had to attend one of Anne's lectures once a week to help with teaching duties. Anne let her get away with the rule by having Kagome give the students their weekly summary. She normally presented it, but letting Kagome do it allowed her to follow the rules and gave her students something unique to look forward to.

Today, a Wednesday about a month since Kagome's arrival, Kagome was reading a document when something about it caught her attention. She looked at it and pulled it closer to reread the paragraph that had seemed relevant. The paragraph talked about a town in Southern France that had a spike in vampire sightings in the year 1838- shortly after immigrants from Asia arrived. It even mentioned the name of one of them: Shomu-san. She hitched a breath and continued reading. The period of sightings in France occurred shortly after the years of calamities and eventual _youkai_ extermination in Japan that she had come across in her other findings. This was too good to be true.

Reading the rest of the article, she groaned when she made it to the end. It didn't offer any more information on the vampire sightings- just that one specific example. She pulled out her notes on the Japanese sightings- of both _youkai_ and vampires. After the "_youkai_ extermination" of the 1830's, vampires in Japan had all but disappeared until the 1950's. This information played right into her thesis about the connection between supernatural theories in Japan and Europe. She flipped through the article and skimmed the works cited page at the end.

"Kagome?" She turned to see Anne walk into the room. Anne always had a soft voice. Kagome was always surprised that she didn't startle when the professor walked in. She was sharing Anne's office with her for the time being, taking up a corner of the desk that Anne had designated as hers.

"Anne." She greeted back as the woman walked in. "How was the class today?"

"Good. They were more concerned about the upcoming final exams." She looked at the article Kagome had highlighted expertly. "Oh- did you find something?" Kagome nodded as she fingered the sheets of the article in front of her.

"Yes. There is information about a sighting of… activity in France. The article says more information is in Paris." She pointed out the information unable to read more since it was written in French. Anne came forward to look at it promoting Kagome to move away from the desk.

"Oh- it says it's from _Les Science Politiques _in Paris. I wonder why they have this in their libraries."

"It was from a local magistrate." Kagome answered looking at Anne. She had forgotten that Anne was fluent in French. "Do you think I could get access to it?"

Anne narrowed her eyes and turned to Kagome. "They're very picky at _Scienespo_ so, I think you will have to visit to get the document. Let me talk to the people I know who work there and see if I can get you in." Kagome nodded thankful for the help. Anne was a distinguished professor with numerous books and recognitions under her belt and connections spread throughout Europe. Those connections were helping her now.

"Wonderful. Now then," Anne look at the clock on the nearby wall, "I think it's time for dinner. Let's go shall we?"

Kagome quickly packed up her books and her laptop, shoving them into her backpack and following her out the door. Anne and her husband generally ate out and Kagome ate with them, paying her meal fare with the visiting scholar stipend she received. It was a good thing she had quite a bit of it leftover since she didn't use it for rent. Anne started talking about dinner- she and her husband had decided to treat Kagome to Indian food again- and she soon became lost in trying to keep up in the conversation. Thoughts of the new material she had found left her mind.

* * *

"This is the volume you are looking for." Dominique Rimbaud had a thick gravelly voice with a heavy accent. The Frenchwoman's voice was hard for Kagome to understand, but the girl made a valiant effort to do so as she followed her down one of the library halls of the Political Sciences Institute in Paris. She had heard so much praise about the institution and now, being in its library archives, left her in awe. Looking at the book in front of her, she grimaced. Of course- it was in French.

"You need a translator?" Dominique asked as she noted the woman's expression. "I can offer my services to you."

"Oh no- it's fine. You must be busy." Kagome waved her hands away, trusting the small dictionary she had in her backpack would help her.

"No, I can help. Sit. You have a _cahier?" _Kagome nodded, not knowing what the last word meant but assuming it had something to do with note taking. She pulled out her notebook and the woman's eyes narrowed in approval. Oh, so that was a _cahier. _

"Only pencil." Kagome looked down at the mechanical pencil in her hands and offered it to Dominique for inspection. The librarian narrowed her eyes and plucked it from Kagome's hands before giving it back. "This shall do. Now tell me, what are you looking for?"

"A letter from Limoges." She knew she had drastically mispronounced the name of the French city and cringed.

"_Limoges." _Dominique corrected as she opened the book. "What year?" Kagome answered dutifully and the librarian flipped to the correct section of the book.

It wasn't hard to find what Kagome was looking for. Apparently, the sightings of vampires had been at zero before the Japanese immigrants arrived. At first, the townspeople had thought the sightings came from wayward soldiers who had fled the political crisis in Paris or the wars in nearby Germany. One account though detailed a young man who had come to the town's magistrate in the middle of the night with the news that he had seen a vampire. Surprisingly, this vampire was not sucking human blood but was caught in the process of devouring a bovine. It wasn't uncommon in Japanese folklore of _youkai_ that the _youkai_ in question tended to drink the blood from animals leaving a carcass behind. Those who stumbled upon these carcasses burned them, seeing them as an bad omen.

"That's it! That's the connection!" She put the pencil down and looked at Dominique. "Does it say the name of this man?" Dominique sneered and the expression on her face made Kagome shudder. It seemed predatory almost- as thought Kagome was being seen as prey? She brushed it aside and waited for an answer.

"Yes. He went by the name Shomu-san. It also notes that most of these travelers did not look like your regular Japanese citizen- they were pale and had odd colored hair. The one named Shomu for example had extremely pale skin- the color of yellowed snow- and white hair." Dominique paused. "What is it you are researching again?"

"The connection between folktales in Japan and Europe. The _youkai _tales of Japan closely resemble the vampires that are prevalent in European supernatural theory."

"Oh yes. That sounds promising." Dominique pursed her lips and folded her hands together. "I might be able to find some more information for you." Kagome looked at the older woman with wide eyes. What did Dominique mean? Was she going to dig up more archived material of vampire sightings?

"I would appreciate that." She mumbled finally unable to say anything else and looking down at her notes again. "For reference, I am looking into old historical records that might show vampire myths around the same time Japanese immigrants came to settle into the towns."

"I will look for them." Dominique assured her. She closed the journal they were reading. "Higurashi, may I recommend a _café _in _Le Quartier Latin? _It's quite famous with the young people who work here and you might like it."

"Sure?" Kagome questioned deciding that it wouldn't hurt to see some of the locale.

"_Bon! _It is called _Hypnotique. _I can give you directions." Kagome wordlessly handed her the notebook and Dominique wrote them down before giving the book back to her. Surprisingly, the name of the café was in English- Hypnotic. It seemed that Dominique's accent had made the English word sound French. Thanking the librarian and scheduling a date for a return visit Kagome left the library.

It was twilight when she left, the sky painted a series of pinks and oranges as the sun set and night began to creep in. She was hungry and after arriving on the morning _Eurostar _train hadn't had anything to eat. With eagerness, she began to follow the directions given by Dominique to get to the café she had been told about. She took a quick ride on the metro and soon found herself in the 6th arondissement of Paris. It was an area that was thriving with activity. Students flocked the streets and locals walked around too. Her directions guided her into a small café and pub type restaurantoff of the main road. Walking in, she was assaulted first with the smell of something coppery. Behind her, she noticed how many passersby gave her odd looks as they walked by. Had she been played a fool by Dominique?

"_Bon __soir mademoiselle. __Est-ce que je peux vous aider_?"* Kagome looked at the man in front of her with a grimace. What had he just said? She flushed and tried to figure out a way out of this mess. His eyes suddenly narrowed as though he smelled something quite pungent. She hoped it didn't come from her. He eyed her critically as though trying to figure out what he could do in such a situation.

"_Vous êtes Japonaise?" ** _This phrase the young woman understood. It had something to do with being Japanese. How the man knew that she had no clue. She nodded though, hoping that this new fact would help her find a table and some food.

"_Maxim!" _Another server came by at the shout. Unlike the man helping Kagome who was tall and had curly brown hair, this new server was extremely pale with bright green eyes and hair that was a rich auburn. His features looked a little eerie, especially when he smiled. Had she seen fangs? The one named Maxim spoke and Kagome listened eagerly to see what he had to say. Unfortunately, he too spoke French.

_"Oui?" _

_"Regarde-t 'elle. Elle a le sang chaud : le sang de quelqu'un qui est humaine."*** _Kagome really wanted to know what was being said but she waited patiently hoping that she would get answers soon. _"J'amène Shomu-san. Il sait ce qu'on va faire avec elle." _Maxim nodded and the other waiter disappeared leaving Kagome alone with a grinning teenager. At least, this guy looked like a teenager. She didn't know what to do in this situation and so played the awkward, let's smile at each other game until she heard someone come back.

This person was large and Kagome shuddered as she looked at him. Towering over her measly five foot three frame, he looked like some vengeful dark lord come to punish her. Briefly, she prayed to the kami and promised them that what she was studying was for the greater good of the world and Japan and not meant to offend anyone. She gulped taking a better look at the man. He wasn't just tall; he had long white hair draped over his shoulder in a braid. And his eyes- they were gold but swimming with some angry emotion. It made her shudder to think about what it was.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome was now sure that Dominique had been making fun of her by telling her about this restaurant. She was glad that the man- apparently Japanese since that was the language he had questioned her in- was not throwing her out but asking her a few questions instead. It made her feel a little safer. She offered a small smile as she noticed his ire over the fact that she hadn't answered him yet.

"Sorry. I was told this might be a good spot for a tourist like me to unwind and eat?" She had phrased the last part as a question and waited to see his reaction.

For his part, Sesshomaru was having a hard time trying to calm himself down. It had been years since a human had walked into his establishment. Generally, the ones who did so, entered by accident and he and the staff quickly provided the worst service possible or did something to make the human not want to return again. This was the first time a human had come in saying someone had told her about this establishment. Being a supernatural being had its toll- one of the harshest being secrecy. He couldn't allow this woman to ruin everything he and fellow supernaturals in Paris had worked so hard for. Especially after the years of persecution and turmoil they had faced when their kind had been exposed elsewhere.

"Who told you about this place?" Kagome blinked. She had definitely stumbled on something she wasn't supposed to. Gulping, she answered.

"Dominique Rimbaud- she is the head librarian at the _Sciences Politiques_." Sesshomaru frowned. He sensed no deceit coming from this girl- years of vampire dog instincts had assured that he had quite a sensitive nose. Still, for a woman like Dominique to want to do this? It seemed odd that she would want to lure such an innocent young woman here. Just what was going on?

"Leave." He sighed and pushed a piece of errant hair back into his braid. "If you know what's good for you, you will not come here." Kagome narrowed her eyes. She was tempted to argue but refrained. Something about the way he held himself and his demeanor seemed overpowering. She had a feeling she would not like to be on the wrong side of an argument with this man.

"I- I'm sorry." She hesitated, shuffling her feet. "Do you recommend any nearby eateries?"

"There is a café near the _Sorbonne_ called _Chez Toi." _She thanked him and hurried out the door his eyes following her every move. Once she disappeared, he turned to Sebastian- the curly haired waiter. _"__Amène Dominique et appelle Monsieur Dumitru." __****_

Sesshomaru couldn't have a human appearing in Paris and poking her nose into business she had no reason to be in. Especially a Japanese one. He had left that country years ago after the government had discriminated and persecuted his people. The plans had backfired and instead there had been a period of war. In the era of calamities, he had been dispatched to find his bride and slaughter those who had been driven mad by the blood lust from the deaths. All that his people had gained from this prevention of mass murder was to be unjustly accused of things they had no part in. So they had fled and ended up in France. They had been told that the area was accepting of _youkai._

What his people learned was that the _youkai _of Europe were called _vampires_ and that they were feared much more than his people were even if they were foreigners. They had quickly found a place though. Lord Dumitru- the head of the European council of vampires- had come and found them to explain the workings of European supernatural society. Sesshomaru bought a farm with his help in Southern France and his people regularly fed off the cattle and other animals. They learned to live in hiding and had come to understand the new workings of the world. Lord Dumitru had even taught them spells of forgetfulness to ease the memories of any who saw them.

Since his exile, Sesshomaru had come far. He owned the only supernatural friendly place in all of Paris. Most large cities held them, offering a place of refuge to his kind in the modern world. Unlike him, some of his kind who had come with him from Japan, had left France and Europe to go elsewhere. In the past few decades some of his people had returned to Japan now that it was more accepting to their kind again. This time though, the Japanese people had forgotten about _youkai _and treated them as vampires even if they were the same thing. He sighed and turned back to head to the manager's office. It was rare that he had to contact Dumitru about a breach in protocol. He had to get ready for Dumitru's visit.

Down the street, Kagome shuddered as she walked into the café that the man had suggested. Something about her experience bothered her. She took a seat at a table ordering a _croque monsieur _and a bottle of _Evian _to go with it. The man- he hadn't given her a name did he- looked odd. He had long whiter hair, striking golden eyes, and pale skin. A sudden thought struck her then and she paled. Hadn't Dominique mentioned that the records from the French town detailed a man- a Japanese immigrant with features resembling that? But these were folktales she was researching not real stories. Maybe he was a descendant from the original inhabitants? She pulled out her notebook and peered through her notes as the waiter came back with her order.

By the time Kagome was finished with her dinner, she had dissected and analyzed everything she knew about her thesis and the events of the day. So far, she had enough material to establish her thesis connection. In fact, with the material she had right now, she had more than enough to publish a decent thesis, as long as she mentioned that she had narrowed her findings to focus on France. But the mystery behind the place she had visited was still confusing her. The people at _Hypnotique _were surprised by her visit. They had asked her why she had come by. They wanted to know why she was there. She narrowed her eyes as she clicked her pen. She had to visit again. Something told her that visiting there would help her with her thesis.

She packed up her materials and approached the cashier to pay before backtracking to _Hypnotique. _Surprisingly, it was closed with a sign outside saying something. She pulled out her dictionary and translated it. Due to maintenance issues, the café was closed. Now, Kagome was sure there was something fishy. When she had visited earlier, there had been no sign of any pending maintenance issues. Nothing major could have happened in an hour. She sighed and moved away. There was no point in worrying about things now. She would go tomorrow and visit Dominique again. Then, while getting more information, she could causally ask about this place as well. It was her best option.

* * *

Sesshomaru fumed in his office. As soon as the Japanese female human had left, he had gone to his office and contacted one of his associates in the _Sciences Politiques. _Dominique was being arrested as it was, his associates had informed him via phone that they was taking care of it. His associate was going to work with that woman in the library and take care of things there. As the overseer of the Parisian supernatural scene, he was in charge of not only taking care of infringements like this, but also reporting major ones. Dominique's invitation to a human fell under the major category. They couldn't have humans stumble upon them; that would cause a panic that the community was not willing to face. Hopefully, she wouldn't come by again and he could take care of Dominique with Dumitru.

It had become increasingly annoying lately as more and more of their kind gave into their insatiable appetites. As a vampire, he knew that a single meal consisted of at least two pints of blood. The draw to human blood was that a little taste of it was enough to calm the hunger for an entire two days. His counterparts in the medical fields were researching information regarding the blood draw his people had. For now, they took pills that curbed the need to eat. It provided the same energy as three pints of blood and it was much easier to use that rather than involve scrutiny by eating. A tap at the window had him looking out of it. A bat stood there hiding in the corner of the sill. He opened it and let Dumitru in.

Dumitru flew in and perched on the floor behind the guest chair. A quick flutter of his wings and he transformed into his true self. In Japan, it was known that _youkai _resembled animals. There were stories as to why they did so, but in Europe, Sesshomaru had learned the animals were bats, wolves, and foxes. No one knew why no other animal families were present but it was common for the vampires to use their animal forms in travel. It avoided the problems associated with human interaction. Dumitru took the guest seat and Sesshomaru followed.

"Take your pills boy. I do not want your attention somewhere else as we have this talk." Sesshomaru glared at the man in front of him but did as instructed, pulling out a box of pills and then standing and going to the shelf of wine he had. Over the years, he had come to understand that he had a nice appreciation for wine. Wine hid the taste of the pills and since vampires weren't susceptible to the effects of mixing pills with alcohol it made his meals a little easier.

He poured two glasses of wine, handing one to Dumitru. Going back to his desk with his own glass, he opened the box of pills. He only had a few left, it seemed he had to order some new ones soon. Taking one in his hand he swallowed it with a sip of wine and then focused his attention on Lord Dumitru. The lord himself was enjoying a glass of the Burgundy. Taking a sip from his own glass, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. He was going to let Dumitru talk first.

"When Sebastian called, he said something about a protocol breach?" Dumitru's accent was sharply British. The man had been born in Romania ages ago but had started family in Scotland and for years served in the British Parliament. He was one of the fewimmortal ones of their kind, much like Sesshomaru.

"A Japanese human female came in here earlier today." Sesshomaru replied leaning back in his chair and twirling his glass. "She said she was sent by Dominique Rimbaud at the _SciencesPo_. Dominique has been bridging the line for a while now."

"So I have read." The lord murmured. Dominique regularly courted trouble. She had been known to prey upon younger girls in alleys of the city- often she was reprimanded about it. She had been quite silent for a year though. To pull a stunt like this meant she either did not fear the repercussions or she had thought she could get away with it.

"I am having her arrested now to be disposed of." Sesshomaru frowned as he looked over at the lord. He hated disposing of his kind. When driven to madness the carnal needs of his kind took over and lapses in judgment occurred often. It was easier to control for some compared to others. He had to kill his own brother before leaving Japan when the boy had been driven mad by the smell of so much human blood in the end of the Tokugawa reign.

"You believe her to be that dangerous?" Dumitru asked as he set the wine glass down.

"Yes. This is the third woman she has tried to guide here. We are generally able to stop them before they do. Our associate however has recently been replaced. Rin has decided to go back to Japan." Dumitru nodded as his eyes narrowed. He wondered about the humans. "Rin had to perform the spell four times when working with Dominique. All times it was humans who had seen fangs. Dominique used her ability of mind projection to show the victims what fate would have awaited them."

Dumitru huffed in anger. "The French vampires are always haughty." He nodded giving Sesshomaru the permission needed to dispose of her. "What of the girl? What do we know about her?"

"Nothing yet. My associate is to meet with her tomorrow in the library. According to her, the woman is researching folklore on our kind." Sesshomaru put his own wine glass on the table in front of him. "We have to be careful Dumitru. She nearly stumbled on the biggest secret today. I have a feeling that she knows more than we want humans to know."

"Very well." The lord stood, his pale frame towering over the other man in the room. "I will be in Paris for a few days until this issue is settled. Inform me if there is anything else I need to know. I know you will take care of things here Sesshomaru." With that, the lord transformed again and flew out the window to his Parisian residence. The top floor of the _Palais D'Élysée _was said to be haunted. None knew that he resided there when he visited Paris. It was a closely guarded secret and would remain that way.

Sesshomaru watched the man fly away and sighed. Something about the events of the past few hours rankled him. Dominique knew something about this woman- she had stopped by the café earlier he had been told. Sebastian had seen her walk by. The fact that she thought to visit after he had kicked her out bothered him. She was curious and being curious was never a good thing when their kind was concerned. For her own good, and the stability within the Parisian vampire circles, he hoped the girl knew when to stay away.

Kagome did return to the library the next day. She was bound to get to the bottom of whatever problem Dominique had placed her in. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either as she had stayed up thinking of what she had seen the day before. Yawning, she walked up to the desk and asked for Dominique. A blonde woman greeted her instead. She spoke English with a British accent, which surprised Kagome but she waited to see what the woman had to say and find out where Dominique was.

"Dominique is unavailable. She had a family emergency." Something about the way the information was presented bothered Kagome. Shrugging it off, she followed the woman to the same table from the day before.

"Do you need to know what my research is on?" The blonde woman shook her head. Like Dominique and the men from yesterday in _Hynoptique, _she too was strikingly pale.

"Dominique informed me what you were researching before she left. I actually brought out some more information. We have sightings in Marseilles, Lyon, and Nice as well. I have the journals and I can translate the information for you." Kagome clapped her hands together.

"Really? That would be wonderful!" Kagome sat down at the table and sat down in a chair as the woman- who had introduced herself as Jane- pulled out a large tome. She opened it and pointed to the table of contents, turning the book towards Kagome.

"I found this yesterday. Here we have a series of letters sent from mayors and magistrates to the central government in Paris. I noted a few that mention what you research." Jane pulled out a sheet of paper that she had in the pocket of her dress.

For the next two hours, Kagome and Jane pored over the letters sent from the mayors and townspeople. Kagome took facts while Jane dictated and translated. In Nice, there was a tale about foxes overpopulating the area right around the same time the sightings occurred. To Kagome this was a gold mine especially when she learned that Nice was the port of entry for many Japanese as they took a route that took them towards North Africa to get to France. She hadn't remembered hearing that before. Nice hadn't been mentioned. She supposed she would have to look into that later. As they neared the end of the research, Kagome shook her cramped hand and Jane carefully held the book intent on photocopying the letters they had read and giving Kagome English translations to work with.

"Thank you for your help Jane." Kagome stated as she closed the notebook she was writing in. "I appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure." The blonde answered. "Do let me know if you have any questions." Kagome bit her lip as she debated on asking the one question that had left her up all night. Maybe Jane could tell her what was so odd about _Hypnotique? _

"Do you know about _Hypnotique? _I was recommended to go there by Dominique but the staff seemed unfriendly." Jane stopped her motions jerkily and quickly glanced around. It seemed she was checking for eavesdroppers. Kagome was now more confused than ever. What was it about this café? It seemed to house many secrets.

"Go there at the dawn of the night. When the moon rises over the Seine." Jane finally whispered. Kagome opened her mouth to ask why Jane had given her such an odd time but she didn't. Jane looked like she had just told her a secret she shouldn't have. It didn't matter. Maybe she'd have the answer she wanted if she went to them then?

"I will then. Thank you." She made to get up but Jane gave her a bracelet.

"Wear this- they will let you in then." Kagome took the bracelet and shrugged as she thanked Jane once more. Leaving the library, she went to her hotel and grabbed lunch at the café on their ground floor. Before the evening, she wanted to type up her notes and add them to the information she had. And, she mused, yawning again on her walk back, she would try to get a quick nap in before tonight.

At eight that evening, Kagome left her hotel. She wore the bracelet Jane had given her- a golden colored bangle- and took the metro to the Latin Quarter. Like yesterday, she easily navigated her way to the street closest to the _Sorbonne _and found herself in front of the café. Hesitating, she opened the door and walked inside. Like yesterday someone came to greet her in French. This time however, the man didn't act odd when he realized she didn't speak the language. He handed her an English menu and pointed to an empty table by the window. Maybe Jane had been right?

She took a seat at the table and looked at the menu. Raw goat liver, fresh heart of sheep, cow stomach. What kind of café was this? _And_ why did they have raw food? She turned to the drinks menu and paled at what she read. Veal blood, goat's milk flavored with goat blood, chicken blood. She felt sick and nauseous. Had they mistranslated or given her a dummy menu. Looking up, she noticed something odd about the patrons of the café. They were eating raw meat and drinking blood. That explained the smell of iron from yesterday and the menu. Closing her eyes and opening them again a moment later, she noticed a man with fangs bite into a heart. Oh god- what had she gotten into?

Kagome stood up from her seat and stumbled on her chair. She was acting a little hysterical but she had a reason to. Patrons gawked at her and pointed and then a familiar face came into view. It was the young server from the day before. The one with the auburn hair- she had forgotten his name. He approached her with sharp, beady eyes and curled his lips up exposing fangs. They were real- this entire place was real. She had walked into- oh lord, she had no idea. Whimpering, she backed away towards a window. If she was in a room of vampires, she was now prey. Tears spilled down her face as the fear took over. She was going to die today. She was in a room of blood hunters- human hunters and she was the only human.

"_Zut! Qui est l'imbécile qui a invité elle ici?__Amène Shomu-san !" ***** _He looked at a server who was looking at the situation with wide eyes. "_Va-t'en!"_

Kagome didn't know what he was saying but he was yelling. Yelling was never a good thing. She cowered in the corner, lost between crying and trying to decide which way she should go to run for her life. She had no time to think on her plans however as the pale man from before showed up. His features now made sense in her mind. He was the vampire that had been caught with the cattle in Limoges. She had read about him yesterday. Sinking onto her knees, she waited to see what he would do.

She was grabbed harshly by the arm. Before she could protest, he leaned over and bit her. It was a small bite that didn't draw blood but instead let something in. She didn't know what it was and tried to kick and fight but it was to no avail. She fell limp in his arms and he took her away to his office. The patrons of the restaurant all turned shocked eyes to each other. They knew that something major had just happened. A human had stumbled onto their private place. It was unheard of. And then came the questions. Why had no one been able to smell her blood?

Sesshomaru let loose a string of curses as he waited for the woman to wake. He had sent Maxim to get Lord Dumitru immediately. The toxin he had released was enough to knock her out for a good half hour. It would give him the time needed to figure out what to do. First- he had to figure out why he couldn't smell her blood. Looking at her, he tried to see what it was that could be blocking the smell- jewelry perhaps. He checked her earrings and then the bangle. The bangle allowed him to touch it but it was dark- there was something off about it. Peering closer he noticed it had runes- runes that he knew only one demon in Paris had the knowledge to.

He grit his teeth and fought the urge to stomp his feet like a child. It seemed Dominique's hold had stretched farther than just herself. It appeared the associate he had hired to take Rin's place had been in on the plans as well. Dominique had assured that should she be caught, she had someone to finish her work. Apparently, there were quite a few vampires in Paris that felt they needed to take control over humans again. Lord Dumitru was not going to be happy.

"Sesshomaru!" The lord flew in through the window that Sesshomaru had left open as soon as he had deposited the woman on his desk. "What is the meaning of this? I thought your associate took care of things?" Sesshomaru turned to Maxim- his animal form a sparrow- and the sparrow took flight once again.

"Everyone who has worked with Dominique will now be questioned." He answered. "Apparently my associate thought to inform the public of our presence. Dominique warned us of this morning before her death. She told us she had a plan where humans would know of our kind. Her goal was to take power."

"And what does this have to do with your associate and this woman?"

"My associate gave the woman a rune bracelet to hide her scent. She entered the café because my servers did not smell her humanity."

The lord growled and looked out the door of the office towards the hallway. A large protocol line had been breached. Each and every restaurant patron would undergo a thorough memory modification done by him before the nights end. Sesshomaru's staff would as well. All expect for Maxim and the man himself. Sesshomaru was due to leave Tokyo soon to oversee the vampire society in Tokyo. Maxim was due to take his place. They wouldn't have their memory modified so that they could know what to do should another such situation arise.

"Maxim has been sent to dispatch the associate?" The lord questioned even though he knew the answer. Sesshomaru nodded and the lord sighed. "I take it you will take care of her? Put her in a sleep and take her to the hospital in the 7th _arondissement. _Tell them she was slipped a drug." Sesshomaru nodded.

It was a tricky business being a vampire overseer in a city. One had to have power and strength to do so. Doing a memory modification spell was easy, any vampire could do it. Getting away with depositing the body of the victim was harder. To do this, they used a sleeping drug dissolved in wine. The drug let the victim sleep and allowed the overseers to contact their witches to bring them to hospitals. With the witch's help, the vampires would be left unquestioned and the issue of the hospital transport taken care of as well. The witch, after all, was always working at the 7th _arondissement_ hospital. Unlike his kind, witches were known to mix with the humans. As such they were used to help fix any problems.

"Good. I will take care of things out there." Lord Dumitru left and Sesshomaru punched a number in his cellphone. The Paris witch had been called for this particular task only twice in the seven years she had worked with him but she knew where to meet and what to do. He turned to the person on his desk after the call was made. She was stirring. Activating his magic, he readied himself for the memory modification spell.

Kagome woke up slowly, trying to gain her bearings. She was on a desk in a dark room. Turning her head she saw the male from earlier. The one who had bit her. She opened her mouth to scream but her voice died in her throat. Instead, her eyes were hypnotized by teal orbs that glowed in the dark. She vaguely heard words but didn't register them. The man handed her a glass of wine. She took it and the next thing she knew she was passed out once again.

"She's out then?" Sesshomaru looked to the window where a young woman stood. He hadn't heard her approach nor scented her. Which was normal. Witches were completely mortal unlike his kind but unlike humans they didn't carry the smell of warm blood. This witch- Laura- was a shrewd one who had grown up in America. She kept her dealings private but was reliable. Her family had served the city for years and she took great pains to come back here after her college education. Like her ancestors, she wanted to make sure that the supernatural beings who messed up in Paris were taken care of quickly and in a sufficient manner.

"Yes." Walking towards another door in the room. He opened it and Laure walked in. With ease, she flicked her fingers and transported Kagome's body to the area behind a café a block away. She would transport herself there in the next few seconds. Sesshomaru's establishment wouldn't be called into question much. It would be that which would be questioned by the police.

"I'll take it from here." Laure stated walking out. She vanished and Sesshomaru sighed. Once the witches took over, he was done with his case. The less involved he was after this, the better. Sighing, he made his way to the eating area of the café. He had some damage control to take care of.

* * *

Kagome smiled as she sat across from her family and next to her fiancé at a popular Tokyo restaurant. She was celebrating three things today: her engagement to Aki-san, her acceptance at the post-doc program at Tottori University, and the approval of her thesis. A quick glance at the window made her do a double take. She thought she had seen someone with silver hair and for some reason she thought it reminded her of something. Shrugging it off, she turned back to the table and the conversation. It was amazing how many things had changed in the year since her Europe trip.

After waking up in a Paris hospital, she had panicked. Anne had been by her side (since she was her contact in Europe) and told her what had happened- she had been struck with some food poising and dehydration. A nurse from the hospital had found her throwing up outside a restaurant and then taken her to the hospital after she had passed out. The doctors had found that the food in the restaurant had reacted negatively with her body and that she had fainted due to dehydration. It had been enough to make her want to leave Paris.

With Anne's help, she had quickly gone to the library at _SciencesPo_ and gotten the photocopies she needed. The day after, she and Anne had gone back to London where they found a translator. It was easy for Kagome to slip back into research mode after that. Impatient, she had rushed home to Japan as soon as the translation was in her hands. A year of hard work had resulted in her thesis being approved and approaching publication status (it was being published in a journal next month). At the end of it all, she couldn't be happier.

"We'll miss you in Tokyo." Her mother stated as she reached out and patted her daughter's hand.

"I know mama. But Aki-san and I promise we'll visit." The mother nodded taking her hand back and looking fondly at the couple.

"How are your parents Hojo-san?" She asked instead, now turning the conversation towards her to be son-in law's family.

"Good. My sister has asked them to stay in California for a year as she grows adjusted to her new motherhood status." He reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a phone. "Have you seen my nephew's picture?" Mrs. Higurashi shook her head and Hojo began to proudly show off pictures of the baby.

It was a nice atmosphere and a nice dinner. The man who Kagome had noticed earlier was watching from the window. To think, this woman had almost caused a huge scandal and nearly participated in the overthrow of her society. He sighed and moved away. It was time to blend into the darkness again and protect another city. His kind had to continue hiding.

* * *

*Good evvening miss. May I/can I help you?  
** Are you Japanese?  
*** Look at her. She has hot blood. The blood of someone who is human... I will bring Shomu-san. He will know what to do with her.  
**** Bring in Dominique. And call Mr. Dumitru.  
***** Shit! Who is the idiot who invited her in? Bring Shomu-san!

A little rushed but here. I didn't edit the last bit so there might be a few mistakes.


End file.
